IADR Abstract Archives
An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth - Oral Health and Retinal Microcirculation
Objectives: Chronic periodontitis is associated with cardiovascular disease and has systemic effects on large vessels and endothelial function. Further, periodontitis contributes to macrovascular reactions in large vessels possibly via the inflammatory cascade and those low grade systemic inflammatory effects could also affect small vessels and the extra-oral microvasculature. To investigate the relation between oral health status and microcirculation we analyzed the association between periodontitis and number of teeth with retinal vessel diameters in a population-based study.
Methods: We analyzed data from the Study of Health in Pomerania-TREND (SHIP-TREND). All subjects (3183 for number of teeth, 3013 for mean probing depth, 2894 for mean attachment level) underwent nonmydriatic funduscopy of the right eye and dental examination. Nonmydriatic funduscopy and static vessel analysis (SVA) offer a non-invasive method to investigate the retinal microvasculature and can provide information about the association of retinal vascular parameters with cardiovascular diseases. We measured central retinal arteriolar (CRAE), venular (CRVE) vessel diameters and calculated arterio-venous-ratio (AVR) from static vessel analysis. Periodontal status was assessed using the case definition of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP). Data were analyzed by linear (CRAE, CRVE, AVR) and logistic regression (AVR<0.8) adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, body-mass-index, and type-2-diabetes mellitus.
Results: Only in men, significant associations were found between periodontal and retinal conditions. Severe periodontitis and mean probing depth were inversely associated with AVR [β=-0.0126 (-0.0232; -0.0020 95%-CI); β=-0.0058 (-0.0108; -0.0009 95%-CI)] and mean attachment level with CRVE [β=1.29 (0.31; 2.27 95%-CI)]. No associations were observed between all periodontal variables, number of teeth and CRAE.
Conclusions: Our results point towards an association between periodontal conditions and AVR in men. Periodontitis may impact microvascular endothelium function. Improving oral health to reduce periodontitis might lead to reduced risk for other age-related diseases.
Methods: We analyzed data from the Study of Health in Pomerania-TREND (SHIP-TREND). All subjects (3183 for number of teeth, 3013 for mean probing depth, 2894 for mean attachment level) underwent nonmydriatic funduscopy of the right eye and dental examination. Nonmydriatic funduscopy and static vessel analysis (SVA) offer a non-invasive method to investigate the retinal microvasculature and can provide information about the association of retinal vascular parameters with cardiovascular diseases. We measured central retinal arteriolar (CRAE), venular (CRVE) vessel diameters and calculated arterio-venous-ratio (AVR) from static vessel analysis. Periodontal status was assessed using the case definition of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP). Data were analyzed by linear (CRAE, CRVE, AVR) and logistic regression (AVR<0.8) adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, body-mass-index, and type-2-diabetes mellitus.
Results: Only in men, significant associations were found between periodontal and retinal conditions. Severe periodontitis and mean probing depth were inversely associated with AVR [β=-0.0126 (-0.0232; -0.0020 95%-CI); β=-0.0058 (-0.0108; -0.0009 95%-CI)] and mean attachment level with CRVE [β=1.29 (0.31; 2.27 95%-CI)]. No associations were observed between all periodontal variables, number of teeth and CRAE.
Conclusions: Our results point towards an association between periodontal conditions and AVR in men. Periodontitis may impact microvascular endothelium function. Improving oral health to reduce periodontitis might lead to reduced risk for other age-related diseases.